Forgotten Whispers: Silent Echoes

Chapter 10

    Almost immediately Partridge jumped up hissing as the fur along her spine stood on end before she looked around to find the dark dead woods that blotted out the sky.

"Jumpy much?" a black and white she-cat deadpanned as she hobbled her way around a piece of dead bramble.

"And, who are you?" Patridge hissed back, her body still fluffed up.

"That depends, who are you?" The unknown she-cat mewed unhurriedly before hobbling towards Partridge.

Partridge backed up before hissing her reply, "my name is Partridge of Birchclan the kit of Dawnstar and Duskclaw of Birchclan."

"Self-righteousness, I don't know if that's a trait of you cats but you can just call me Waverunner," Waverunner responded, her watery blue eyes glared coldly at the young she-cat. Which made Partridge feel the sour breeze slicing into her fur whilst carrying the strong scent of something rotting to her nose.

"So where's Kestrelclaw? She said she'd be here." Partridge questioned as she finally sat down.

"Relax, get comfortable or you might end up as another piece of crow food at Kestrelclaw's paws," the coldness of Waverunner's words cut through Partridge until a small purr of amusement was heard from the canopy of dead twigs.

"No need to be like that, little Wave," Kestrelclaw mewed in amusement as she reclined in the arms of a dead oak tree.

"Haven't I told you not to call me that," Waverunner snarled at the now visible she-cat.

"And I was supposed to be called Kestrelstar here, what's your excuse," Kestrelclaw quipped back before Waverunner backed down and sat on her hackles.

"Nothing, my allegiance is placed in you," Waverunner hung her head in submission as the annoyance was evident in her words, while her face still held no emotion.

"Good, I wouldn't want another demonstration of what's his name..." Kestrelclaw paused, her talon-like claws gouging into the wood.

"It was River's Pike if I remember," Waverunner replied, her head still hung in submission, with her eyes looking down in thought.

"Ah, right, well let's get this started shall we," Kestrelclaw replied before she bounded down the tree. "Unfortunately Patridge, I won't be the one training you, since you know," Kestrelclaw mewed before bringing attention to Partridge's injured leg. "With that in mind, I've assigned you a mentor to accommodate your needs, just in case," the ragged she-cat practically purred out.

Partridge breathed a sigh of relief, as the thought of those claws anywhere near her made her want to just curl up in the back of a fox den and rot.

"Wait you want me to train this dead fox of an apprentice," Waverunner almost yowled in reply, her face contorted into a mix of anger and disgust. Which was in stark contrast to the almost calm and unemotional demeanor that she had held earlier.

"I'm the dead fox? I'm just a newbie apprentice. Of course, I need training that's why I made that mouse-brained promise with her of all cats." Partridge shot back as the insult which made her blood boil hotter than anytime she had been sunbathing.

Both cats looked at Partridge shocked before Waverunner gave a half-hearted sigh in defeat, "fine, but just so you know I'm not going to go easy on you, understand me?" She mewed with her eyes almost piercing into Partridge's soul.

"Alright," Partridge agreed before looking at the black and white she-cat expectantly.

"Then I'll leave you two to it," Kestrelclaw replied over excitedly before turning to Waverunner with an eerie look, "make sure she doesn't break or you'll be losing more than just your leg you hear me." Kestrelclaw threatened.

This made Waverunner lower her body and her eyes before replying, "Yes, Kestrelclaw."

"Good, I'll be going now, have fun," Kestrelclaw sang, which was a whiplash from her threatening one of her own warriors just a heartbeat earlier. Kestrelclaw practically bounced away, leaving the two she-cats alone in the dark and hauntingly empty hollow.

"I don't know who's more of an old loon Kestrelclaw or Weaselstrike," Waverunner mewed, letting out a heavy sigh.

"I don't know who Weaselstrike is but Kestrelclaw has to be on another level of a bloodthirsty badger." Partridge commented before she started to feel woozy.

Waverunner took notice of the young she-cat swaying slightly with her good paw barely propping her up. "You should go to sleep now, we'll start training tomorrow night."

"Wait..." Partridge objected, before being swallowed up by the dark cocoon that brought her back to the land of the living.